The Favor
by LaceyLouLou82
Summary: Completely Alternate Universe. Loren is a singer/actress and Eddie is dipping his feet back into the acting game.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Okay, okay, I know what you are all thinking? Why am I starting another fic when I haven't posted Remember Me in forever? Well because I couldn't help myself. Blame it on the fact that I was bored with writing the other day and found myself on some random celebrity gossip site and discovered that there is a very good possibilities that an actor and actress from my favorite soap opera are most likely dating in real life. That led to this idea that just would not let me get back to editing and polishing up the new update of Remember Me. **_

_**I don't know how long this will be but I did start an outline and I am up to chapter five on that right now. I am going to try alternating the updates of this story with those of Remember Me, but only if the response to this is good. So please review **___

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Hollywood Heights characters and not really any of the others in this story because they are based on characters from various other shows though the names have been severely altered. Also I have no idea what really goes on behind the scenes of a soap opera…this stuff is just strictly my imagination **

Eddie Duran looked across the table at his manager. They were in a very crowded, very public place so he couldn't very well yell at the man but he did settle for giving him a look that asked when exactly Jake Marsden had lost his mind. Jake simply rolled his dark brown eyes at his client. "Do you have a better suggestion?"

He didn't and Jake knew that. Basically Eddie Duran was at the end of his publicity rope. No one wanted to hire him for roles in films or television because of his bad boy reputation and his record sales have plummeted since his latest scandal hit the tabloids. His fans were sick and tired of his philandering and partying. They stopped buying his songs and not a single one of his concerts have sold out all year. He was slowing but surely becoming a has been. "No."

"Look, I know it's not what you had in mind when you told me to find you an acting job, but it's a great offer, Eduardo. The money is great but the benefits are substantial. It's the highest rated show in daytime. We are talking hundreds of millions of viewers here."

"It's a damn soap opera Jake. "

Jake picked up his glass of water and took a long drink before setting it back down and nodding, " Yes, but it's a good one. Trace is a fan and I get stuck watching a marathon of the week's episodes every weekend. The stories are solid and believable. There is none of that back from the dead, evil twin, possessed by the devil, bitten by vampires crap. From what I have seen, the stories are mostly family oriented and deal with real issues. "He picked his brown leather briefcase up off the floor and riffled through it for a minute and then produced a stack of papers. Putting his case back on the floor next to his chair, Jake handed the first sheet of paper across the table to his client. "This is the cast list. Almost every single actor and actress on it has either been nominated or won a daytime Emmy. Those are like the Oscars for the daytime community. The cast is crazy talented. "

Eddie looked over the list. A few names that he recognized popped out at him. "Maxie Black? When did she join a soap opera?" He had met the petite blonde a couple of years ago on a movie set where they had both been working small roles. She was feisty and opinionated and a riot. They were friends while the movie was being filmed but after the premiere he never saw or spoke to her again. Of course that was before his reputation as a Hollywood womanizer emerged and his relationship with Maxie had been purely platonic.

"She has been with the show since she was a teenager. She has stimulations in her contract that allows her time off to do outside projects. "Jake informed Eddie with a smile. " She is one of the most popular actresses on the show. Her fan base is overwhelming according to Kelly. "

"Kelly?"

"Remember Tracey's friend from college?" At Eddie's nod, he continued, "she is Maxie's manager. She actually manages a lot of the actors. "Jake found a copy of the list he gave Eddie in the stack of papers in his hands and looked it over. " Johnny Barrick, Chloe Carter, Tyler Roark, and Loren Tate are all Kelly's."

"Loren Tate? The country singer Loren Tate?" Eddie looked down at the paper in his hands and sure enough there was her name near the bottom.

"The one and only. Do you know that she actually got her record deal because an exec was a fan of the show and saw her sing in character? It turns out that Loren writes all the songs her character sings on the show. And not only is she a great singer but she is one of the best actresses I have ever seen. Trace is a huge fan of her character."

Eddie took in the information with a frown. As much as he hated to admit it, Jake made a good case for him to take the role he was being offered. He would never admit it to Jake, or anyone else for that matter but he had seen _Always and Forever. _ In fact his mother had been a fan while he was growing up and he would sit and watch with her every day after school. It had become a tradition for the two of them to sit together on the sofa with his after school snack and watch the lives of fictional character implode. Now that his mom was gone, it was one of the things he missed the most about her and hadn't been able to watch a single episode of the soap or any of her other favorite shows since she died.

The fact that Loren Tate was part of the cast made the offer way too tempting. They had met last year at an awards show and Eddie had been instantly attracted to the brunette beauty. Unfortunately he had a date as did she and though he was an admitted play boy, he wasn't a cheater. So he had politely shaken her lovely warm hand, given her his famous smile, and wished her a good night before following the usher to his seat where Leah, his girlfriend at the time was waiting not so patiently for him. Later that night when Loren and another singer had presented him with the award he won for single of the year he had hugged her as he accepted and the smell of her coconut soap or lotion or whatever made her smell like a day at the beach had stayed with him for weeks afterwards.

"This is a breakdown of the character you will be playing if you decide to take this on. " Jake handed over another sheet of paper. "Brady is the long lost son of Maurice and Vanessa Calvin. He was kidnapped by a rival mob family at birth and Maurice and Vanessa believed him to be dead. Now twenty years later he arrives in town, damaged from a rough childhood and looking for answers about his true parentage. He is anger and bitter but underneath it all he just wants to be accepted by his parents. He has a chip on his shoulder. After a brief encounter with Isabella, he is determined to make her his until he meets his step mother's niece Kelsie." Jake read the description out loud as Eddie read it to himself. "It's a good role Eddie. My advice is for you to take it. "

"What if I audition and they don't want me. " It's not like it would be the first time. He had been turned away left and right lately. It was frankly making him unsure of his acting abilities.

"They don't even want you to audition. The role is yours if you want it. "Jake was proud to tell his friend and client.

Eddie's eyebrows shot up, "how did you manage that?"

"I called in a favor. " He would have liked to leave it at that but years of working with Eddie told him that wasn't possible. "Melissa is a producer on the show. Well, actually, "his smile becomes proud once again. " She was just promoted to Executive Producer, thank you very much."

Melissa Sanders was Jake's daughter. Eddie didn't know every detail about the situation but he knew that Jake had gotten his high school girlfriend, Beth, pregnant and without Jake's knowledge, Beth had given the baby to her sister and brother in law to raise. Obviously there was more to the story than Eddie was privy to but all that mattered was a couple of years ago, Melissa had shown up on her father's doorstep and the two forged a miraculous relationship. Eddie really liked Melissa. She was fun spirited and feisty as hell and had no qualms about telling anyone what she thought about them, including him. She was one of the few people in the world that Eddie considered a friend. "She wants me on the show?"

"She does, "Jake confirmed, "but she doesn't want any bad press for the show. It's at the height of a genre that is a dying breed, Eddie. Four daytime shows were canceled in the last two years. So far Melissa and her team have been lucky. The have consistently high ratings and nothing but good press. She is willing to give you a shot, one shot. The first time you are caught with your pants down, literally, where they shouldn't be, you are done. "Jake's voice was firm and stern and Eddie knew he meant business.

Eddie knew it wasn't just his career on the line here, now. It was Melissa's too. She was taking a risk on him. "I don't want to be the way I am, you know. "

"Then why are you?" it was a fair enough question but one Eddie couldn't even begin to answer and Jake knew it before he even asked. His client had been on a downward spiral since his parents were killed in a terrible car accident two years ago. Alcohol and women were his coping mechanisms and neither did a thing to help his grief or any other aspect of his life. They had destroyed his once stellar reputation and were slowly eating away at what was left of his career.

Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "It started out as a way to forget then just became a habit. "

"Well you need to get it under control. If you want to salvage a career in this town, you need this Eddie. If you can make this work, it will go a long way in restoring your reputation and fans. Daytime has such a loyal fan base. That movie you and Maxie Black did brought in millions more than it would have if she wasn't a part of it. Her fans followed her to the big screen even for the three and a half minutes she spent on it. You need that buddy. "

Eddie sighed," I know I do. What do I have to do?"

Jake handed over another paper, "these are the contract terms. It's a standard two year deal. In addition to the show you are required to participate in at least ten different fan event functions throughout the year including the annual fan club weekend that occurs every summer. You are also required to do interviews as they pertain to your storyline and cast mates. There is a clause allowing you time off to tour and record as well. "Jake pulled a pen out of the pocket of his suit jacket. " All you have to do is sign."

Eddie took the pen and scratched his signature and date across the bottom of the document. He handed the paperwork back to Jake. "Now what?"

"Now, I get these to Melissa and she releases a statement that you are joining the show and I release the statement as well. You show up at the studio tomorrow at 7 am to meet your co-stars and to do your first read through."

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

"And this will be your dressing room. " Melissa opened the white door to a space that Eddie was amazingly surprised by. The walls were painted a decent shade of blue and the carpet was a beige color. In one corner sat a sofa with blue and white checkered fabric and a matching chair sat on the other side of a dark oak end table. In another corner sat a small card table with four gray folding chairs. "It's not much, but feel free to decorate it however you want to. "

Eddie sat on the chair and crossed his right leg over his left knee. "Do you give all the newcomers a tour, Mel?"

She sat herself down on the sofa and smiled at him. "Of course not. I'm the big boss lady around here you know, I have more important things to do. But I made an exception for you. "

"You've made more than one. "

"Because I know you won't let me down." She sat back to get more comfortable. "I haven't known you as long as Jake has but I know that you aren't really that guy the tabloids portray. "

"How can you be so sure, Mel. I am not even sure who I am anymore."

"You, my friend, are the guy who snuck me onto a closed movie set to see Ryan Gosling just to make me smile after an especially bad day. We had only known each other for a couple of days then, remember?"

He nodded. Mel had just moved in with Jake and Tracey and was having a hard time adjusting to her new family. Eddie had shown up for a meeting but Jake was running late and Mel was venting about being stuck in yet another family where she came in last place on their list of priority. She mentioned in her rambling angry statements that she just wanted to run away to a deserted island with Ryan Gosling who she was sure would make her his one and only priority. Eddie asked if she had ever met the actor and when she answered in the negative, he asked if she wanted to.

The next thing Mel knew, they were both dressed up as Kraft service waiters and watching the man of her dreams in action. That would have been enough for Mel, just to see the gorgeous creature so close but Eddie had completely blindsided her by walking up to Ryan and whispering something to him after he had finished filming his scenes. To her shock Ryan walked over to her and introduced himself. He even hugged her. Later Eddie explained that he and Ryan worked out at the same gym and that Eddie simply explained that his friend was Ryan's biggest fan and the actor had been happy to meet her.

"That guy wasn't drunk or caught naked on the couch of a college sorority. He was just a sweet friend making a girl's dream come true. That is the guy I want to be part of this show. "Her voice took on firmness that Eddie knew she had inherited from her father, "We do up to 100 pages of dialog a day, Eddie. I can't have you drunk or nursing a hangover. I need you on your game all the time. We don't have formal rehearsals either, but I know most of the cast meets up in their own time to go over their scenes. I like things done right the first time. It makes everything easier on everyone. The sooner we get it on tape the way we want it, the sooner you are free. "

"I get it, you run a tight ship."

"No, not really. I just don't like to spend all day at work. Most EPs don't want to be hands on, but I am. I am there for every scene that is shot, every meeting that is held. I like to know what is going on but that doesn't mean that these fools don't have fun. We were here for six hours yesterday because two of my actors couldn't stop laughing long enough to film what should have only been two and a half minutes of dialog. It's like that a lot of the time. But it's serious when it has to be, too. All I am saying is that I expect you to be sober and ready to work when you walk through the door. Know your lines and your marks. Fun can be had, but just know your stuff, ok?"

He nodded and reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I promise to be on my best behavior Mel. " He was sincere and the smile on Mel's face let him know that she knew it.

"You should be warned that the cast is in the middle of a prank war so I doubt you'll be able to be on your best behavior. I have no doubt that you will be drawn into it. Just don't dye anyone's hair an outrageous color or do anything that is too noticeable on camera ok?" She rolled her eyes, "Like put a condom wrapper in a fruit bowl. "

He couldn't help it; Eddie chuckled, "no way."

"Yes way. I swear to you, these people around here act like kindergartens. It's usually amusing but we didn't catch that one in editing."

Eddie's eyes grew the size of saucers, "it aired?" At Mel's nod, he burst out laughing. "Oh my god."

"No kidding. I couldn't figure out what Maxie and Loren were laughing so hard about while Jason and Sonny were filming and by the time they finally told us, it had already aired. Lucky for them no one seems to have caught it because we haven't been fined and to my knowledge we haven't received any irate viewer mail. Yet." She shook her head, "so that started this seemingly endless war of useless, childish pranks. I don't even know who is winning. I just know it started out with the four of them but now everyone is involved. Its crazy ridiculous. "

A knock at the door interrupted Eddie's bark of laughter and Mel yelled at the person on the other side of the door to come in. A dark haired man stuck his head in, "Hey Mel, they need you on stage 3. Your favorite Diva is at it again." He smiled sarcastically.

Mel muttered a curse under her breath and stood up. "Come on in here and meet Eddie. Eddie this is Johnny Barrick. He plays Shawn, your character's half-brother. Johnny this is Eddie Duran. "

Eddie stood up and held out his hand as Johnny moved fully into the room. They shook hands. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, man. " Johnny looked to Mel, "when I was sent to find you, Ron was threatening to write a tragic death scene so he would never have to deal with her again. "

"Jesus." Mel moved towards the door, " and just a word of advice, Eddie, Ron is our head writer and he hates it when people changes what he writes so just…don't." 'She left the room and slammed the door behind her.

"That is advice to live by, "Johnny declared with a smile.

Eddie gestured for Johnny to have a seat in Mel's recently vacated spot. He does. "So what is going on up on stage 3?"

"What do you know about Chloe Carter?"

Eddie frowned. He had forgotten that she was a member of this cast. He had seen her name on the list Jake gave him and Jake had mentioned Kelly being her manager. "She is a nightmare. I heard that she once demanded a dressing room on a movie set where she was an extra. "Though he had never met her personally, her reputation was worse than his.

Johnny chuckled, "that sounds about right. She doesn't have a lot of fans around here because of her attitude. Especially with the writers, she thinks she knows how to do their job better than they do. That's what is happening today. She rewrote her whole monologue. It's not pretty up there." He shook his head. "She is beautiful but her attitude and ego make you forget that sometimes."

"Mel mentioned something about a prank war, you a part of that?"

A mischievous smile graced the actor's features, "I may have started it. " He moved so he was sitting on the edge of his seat, " Loren plays my girlfriend and she gets really nervous about doing love scenes so in an attempt to relax her, I started doing things that would make her laugh right before our scene. It started out as just simply making faces when the camera wasn't on me so that she would concentrate on that instead of her nerves. When that stopped working, I would put random props in really crazy places. Like once, I put a picture frame in the fire place instead of on the mantel where it's supposed to be on the set. I even put a stuffed animal in a vase once. It actually works because she is so busy wondering what I have moved around on the set that she doesn't even get nervous anymore."

Eddie smiled at that. He actually thought it was a good idea and probably something he would have done. "How did that lead to the condom incident?"

Johnny laughed and held up his hands in defense. "I had nothing to do with that one man. That was all the girls doing. I wasn't even here that day. Apparently, Jason and Sonny were picking on Loren about something so she enlisted Maxie's help to mess with them. I guarantee that the condom in the fruit bowl was Blondie's idea." He actually looked a little bit proud, in Eddie's opinion and that made him smile. "So anyway, that started the war. Now everyone is constantly messing with props and microphones. It's a freaking riot. You never know what you are going to find when you walk onto a set. Yesterday I found a whole dozen of Krispy Kreme's on the hood of a car in the garage set. They tempted me the whole damn time I was filming. I bet I looked longingly at them at least twice when I was supposed to be looking at Loren that way."

Eddie chuckled again. It definitely seemed like, with the exception of Chloe Carter and her diva attitude, this was a fun cast. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it was just what he needed.

"What time is your call?"

"Mel said after lunch she would have me run lines with Sonny and then gave me a call time of 2pm." Eddie replied. "I spent the morning filling out paper work and watching film of the last guy that played this role. Do you know that he flared his nostrils like every five minutes?"

Johnny's bark of laughter was unexpected. "Yeah I noticed. But that's not why Mel let him go. He couldn't learn his lines. Mark was always complaining that he had too many. "Johnny stood up and using his hand gestured between himself and Eddie, "Shawn and Brady are the only sons of the most popular guy on the show. Shawn is the son of one of his most popular pairings and Brady is the son of the other. Not to mention Kelsie and Isabella being best friends and both in love with one brother while dating the other is the stuff soap fans thrive on. All four characters are extremely popular which means all of us work a ton because if the fans like it, Ron writes it. Mark didn't get that."

"I get it. I don't mind the work. I just hope you guys don't regret giving me the chance."

"Mel believes in you and hired you for a reason. You'll be fine. Fans have been begging for Brady to be recast with someone else for months. Mark was a good enough actor; he just didn't have the chemistry with Loren and Maxie that is needed to make this story work." Johnny patted Eddie on the back, "you'll be fine. Don't worry so much. In this particular business, if the fans like you, you've made it. The cast liking you is just icing on the cake. "He started towards the door, "come on, I will by you lunch in the commissary."

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX**_

"I did not." Maxie Black shouted as she stood up and grabbed her phone away from Tyler Roark who had stolen it from its resting stop on the vinyl table top in front of her.

"Yes you did, "Tyler argued as he looked down at the tray of taco toppings in front of him. He piled lettuce and tomato on top of his seasoned beef then added a cup of shredded cheese before smiling up at the annoyed blonde across from him. "He winked and you turned three shades of red. Didn't she Lo?"

The brunette next to him waved her hands in front of her, "Oh no, I am so not in this." She popped a French fry in her mouth and quickly chewed so she wouldn't be forced to say anything else.

"You're not in what?" Johnny asked as he and Eddie walked up to the table and caught Loren's statement. "You guys know Eddie right?"

Maxie stood up and smiled, "Sure do. Hey there, stranger. Welcome to the madness. "She pulled him into a quick hug. " Here sit next to me and keep me distracted from strangling Tyler."

Eddie sat down in the empty seat next to her and smiled at Tyler across the table. "Hey Roark, been a long time. " He and Tyler had met on the set of _Senior Ditch Day_, a couple of years ago. It was another name that Eddie had recognized on the list of cast members but it hadn't been an issue because Eddie and Tyler had actually been sort of friends during the movie production. They had gone out clubbing a couple of times but like with Maxie, once the movie wrapped, they had parted ways. "I see you are still making women want to cause you bodily harm. "

Tyler gave him a wide smile, "what can I say, man, it's a gift. "

Eddie looked next to Tyler to meet Loren's brown eyes. She smiled at him and he smiled back. "Hello again to you Ms. Loren Tate. " He gave her a sexy smile and chuckled softly along with Johnny when her cheeks tinged pink.

"Hey. How is that People's Choice of yours?" She asked with a tiny smile. She was shy and Eddie found it completely adorable. She was adorably beautiful all around in his eyes. From her long brown hair hanging over her shoulders to the white shirt covered in purple and pink peace signs and her make up free face, he was instantly enamored by her.

"It's presently collecting dust on my fireplace mantle. I hear you got one to match it last year. "He hadn't been able to attend the awards ceremony but had heard through the grapevine that Loren had earned one of the fans -voted trophies herself. "Congratulations."

Her smile was big and bright this time and Eddie felt like he had been punched in the gut by how dazzling it was. "Thank you."

"So, "Johnny started as he pulled the chair on the empty side of Maxie out and turned it backwards. He straddled it and looked from Maxie to Tyler, "what are you two arguing about that Loren isn't in?"

"Tyler swears that Jason winked at Maxie and she blushed. Maxie swears she did no such thing. "Loren filled the newcomers to the conversation in before popping another fry into her mouth.

"Nice way to not be in it, "Maxie glared at her friend before turning to Johnny. " He didn't wink at me and I didn't blush. Ty is just being annoying. "

"Except that he did and you did. " Tyler argued once again. "I don't know why you can't just admit it, Max. We all know you have a crush on the guy. It's really not a big deal. "

"I do not have a crush on him."

"Do so," Loren, Johnny and Tyler replied in unison causing Eddie to laugh and Maxie's blue eyes to glare at each of them.

"I hate all of you, "she said frustrated and stood up. She walked away from the table and towards the food counters.

"What do you feel like, Duran? They pretty much serve anything. A burger and fries sound okay?" At Eddie's nod, Johnny walked off to order their food. Eddie watched as his new friend saddled up to Maxie and put an arm around her. He obviously said something to make her feel better because the sound of her laughter could be heard all the way to the table.

Loren pushed her now empty fry box over to the side and looked up at Eddie, " I think I am running lines with you and Sonny this afternoon. "

That made an unusual feeling of happiness surge through his body. He wasn't really sure what it was about this girl but being around her was just something he felt he needed to do. The attraction he had felt for her at the awards ceremony the first night he met her was back in full force only this time he was single. Not that that would mean anything if her situation was the same as it had been that night. He was a lot of things but a third party in a relationship wasn't one of them. Even he the train wreck that he was couldn't live with breaking up a happy couple no matter how attracted to someone he was. He remembered some blonde guy with an attitude coming up to Loren while they were being introduced to one another that night. The idiot had made it a point to put his arm around Loren in front of Eddie, staking his claim. But that was two years ago. Maybe, hopefully, things had changed for her as they had for him. He would be sure to ask Johnny about her status later. For now, he just through another blush inducing smile her way and took pleasure in the fact that it created his intended reaction.

"Do you have your script yet?" at the shake of his head, she reached behind her and pulled the strap of a bag off the back of her chair. A purple messenger bag landed on the table and she rummaged through it. Pulling out a wallet, a phone, a tablet, and miscellaneous make up items, she loaded them on the table and continued her search.

"Lo carries everything but the kitchen sinks in that damn bag of hers, "Tyler commented as he shared an amused look with her new co-star.

"Hush," the remaining girl at the table scolded. Finally finding what she was looking for she tossed the white packet on the table in front of Eddie. "Here is my copy. I think our scene is like the tenth page in. It's a really short scene, but kind of intense. Mel will probably have your copy at the read through so you can hold onto that until you get yours. "

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

"No problem. " She stood up and tossed her belongings back in her bag. "I am due in make up like five minutes ago. " She slung the bag over her shoulder and gathered up her lunch debris. "Thanks for lunch, Ty. I got it tomorrow. And I will see you later, Eddie." He scurried away with Eddie and Tyler both watching after her.

As Eddie watched the wavy mass of brown hair attached to Loren float out the commissary door, he was overcome by the feeling that being here, taking this job would forever change his life. He just hoped that it was for the better and not the worse because he wasn't sure how much further towards rock bottom he could fall without completely ruining what was left of the career he had been dreaming of since he was a kid. He had already disappointed everyone that was still in his life, he didn't want to disappoint Mel too. And as the overwhelming scent of coconut drifted up to him from the pages lying before him, he decided he didn't want to disappoint Loren Tate either.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: It's short and cheesy but here is the next chapter. A couple of you have pm-d me about the length of this story. It's gonna be a short, fluffy one. I don't know how many chapters yet but it won't be anywhere near as long or angsty as Remember Me. This was intended to be fun and sappy and I hope that is how it is coming across. Please review :) **

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and no one :) And all mistakes are mine. I know absolutely nothing about acting, writing or producing a soap opera or anything else. I am just making it all up in my head.**

**Okay so my plan was to check this over but I have had a headache off and on all day and I just didn't feel like it, but I promised some people that I would have this up today so please forgive any and all spelling and grammer mistakes :) **

To say after just a short amount of time on this set that I was a lucky man seemed to be crazy, but as I sat at the long conference table in what Melissa referred to as the "read thru room" with some of the finest actors I have ever seen I knew it was true. Soap actors got a bad name in the business but these people really put everything that they had into thier jobs. Even something as simple as reading a script was a major deal to them and I was never prouder to be a part of something.

At one point or another, the entire cast had been in and out of the room. Now however, it was just me , Melissa, Loren and Ron, the head of the writting team. We were running lines for scenes that Loren and I would tape tomorrow and things were going well. Loren and I seemed to work well off of one another. Mel and Ron both seemed happy enough with our work as well.

" Okay, Eddie, now you come in after Johnny leaves the room. "

Looking down at my script, I shifted so that I was facing Loren who was sitting next to me and I took a deep breath.

" Just read it naturally if you want. This is just for us to see if the scenes are going to work out the way we want. No pressure. " Melissa assured me. It was sweet of her to try to hand hold me through this but I didn't need it. Johnny and the other actors had knocked it out of the park with thier deliveries and I intended to do the same.

I gave Loren a smile, hopefully charming smile, before looking down and reading what was written on my script. " I saw you kissing him.

" He's my boyfriend, Brady. I am supposed to kiss him. " Loren didn't need to look at the written words in front of her. She was obviously prepared. That was a good trait in a scene partner. " Why are you acting like a jealous husband?"

" Because I am jealous. I don't want you kissing my brother. " The script called for me to reach over and touch her face, so I did so. Yeah this was going to be the best job ever. Her skin was soft and smooth even with her makeup on. Her brown eyes flashed and I smiled again as I looked back down at the paper in my hand. " I don't want you kissing anyone but me. "

Ron , who I had been introduced to earlier, walked over to us and pushed Loren's chair closer to me. " Alright, Loren I need you to get just a little bit closer to Eddie, Eddie, put the paper on your lap and bring your other hand up to cup her other cheek. " We both did as we were instructed. " Ok, yes, this is gonna work out fine Melissa. Can you see it?" He raised his eyebrows to Melissa and she smiled wickedly.

" Yes, of course I can. I'm not blind."

Loren rolled her beautiful brown eyes and shook her head as she turned to glare at Melissa and Ron, " what are you two talking about?"

Mel clapped her hands together, " You two have amazing chemistry. Just like I knew you would."

I shook my head at her excitement, " do you want us to continue or are you going to do cartwheels now? "

Loren giggled and I felt a warmth flow through my body at the sound of it. Everything about this girl made me experience knew emotions and reactions. From the smell of coconut that seemed to follow her everywhere she went to the the skin at the corner of her eyes crinkled when she laughed. Spending the afternoon with Loren made me feel off kilter and out of sorts. I shold be resentful of the fact, but I was too busy enjoying it.

My hands were itching to touch her again so when Ron said that we could continue and took us to get back in the previous position with my hands on each side of her face, I was thrilled. " Ok, good. Now Loren you need to lean in a little bit more. " She did so and I could smell the strawberries on her lips. They were glossy and heavenly and I wanted more than anything to close the distance between us and taste the lip gloss I witnessed her applying earlier. But acting on instint rather than with my brain is what got me the terrible repuation that I have so I reminded myself that my career, my life, was riding on being professional and doing this job the right way. The best thing that I could do for myself, my career, and Loren Tate is to get over this obvious attraction that I feel for her.

" Ok, Loren, I need you to look at Eddie's lips, " Loren followed Ron's orders with a small smile on her own lips. " Perfect. Now Eddie, lean in just a hair bit closer and then say your line."

It was impossible for me to remember what was written on the page and I wasn't about to move from my very comfortable, very intimate spot with Loen. With a little giggle, Loren whispered my line to me. Apparently, she could tell that I didn't have a clue what I was doing. With an appreciative smile, I repeated her whispered words, " Do you want to kiss me Isabella?"

" And that is where I will yell cut and we wrap for the day. " Ron exclaimed with enthausim. He was obviously thrilled with whatever it is he sees between Loren and I.

She pulled out of my personal space and gave me another smile as I dropped my hands from her face back to my lap. I felt the lose of her skin in my hands immediately. It really unnerved me that this woman could make me feel so off-balance after only spending an afternoon with her. Of course I have to be completely honest with myself and admit that the night of the awards so when we first met, it was her that I dreamed about when I feel asleep and not the girl that I was seeing at the time.

"That was great you guys. " Mel told us as she began to gather up the papers and notebook scattered across the table. Ron helped her as Loren and I stood up and pushed in our chairs. " That's it for the day. You are both free to go. 6am call time in the morning Loren. Eddie your is 10am. "

Loren groaned and stuffed her bottle of water into her bag, " wanna trade?" She shot me a smile that litterally made my knees weak. She had way too much control over me already. " I hate early morning call times. " She glared in Mel's direction, " and she just doesn't care. "

Mel rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to both of us before opening the door and leaving the room with Ron, head writer extradionare , hot on her heels yammering about an idea for a new storyline. I had to hand it to them though, Mellisa and Ron were probably the best professional team I have ever seen. They work well together and it shows how much they both care about this show.

" So do you have plans right now?" Loren asked as she put her bag on her shoulder. " Maxie and I usually got to dinner after work but she has to stay late tonight to go over blocking for tomorrow so she cancelled. Wanna go with me?"

Yes, I very much wanted to go despite the fact that my head was screaming that it was a bad idea. Spending too much time with Loren Tate would not be good for me, simply because I was insanely attracted to her. However,as was always the case, I didn't pay much attention to the warnings my head was throwing out. " Sure."

Her smile was one of the brightest I have ever seen. It light her brown eye up and made me want her even more. " Good. What do you feel like? There is this little cafe around the corner that serves fantastic burgers. Is that okay?"

"Wait a minute, " I gave her a quizical look. " Did you just suggest that we get burgers?" She nodded and I smiled, " I don't think that I have ever met an actress that actually wants to eat burgers." It was true. The last three women he dated were actress and all three of them lived on salad, sushi and bottled water. It really got on his nerves to eat healthy when he didn't want to. Sure he liked a good salad now and then but more often than not, a huge burger that he could barely fit in his mouth or a large pizza with the works was the only food that could satisfy him. It was a right of passage as a man to enjoy the finier food in life.

" Well, then you haven't been hanging out with the right kind of actress, because I happen to love burgers and you are about to see me eat way more food then I should ever eat. " She patted her stomach, " I have a bad habit of skipping breakfast and gorging on lunch. "

Her stomach was insanely flat and I doubted that if she gorged on every meal that it would show. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. Not exotic, not over done, just naturally, purly beautiful. Perfect. " I admire that you don't diet like a crazy girl. " I reached up and touched a strand of her dark hair, " I also admire that you don't have thirty different colors in your hair. " She blushed and it totally heightened her her beauty. I was completely and totally smitten with this girl already and it's only been one day.

" Wow, thats a whole lot of admiring there, rock star. " She looked me up and down and gave me a wicked smile, " It seems you have a whole lot for me to admire as well. "

Okay now I knew that I was blushing. I could fell my cheeks heating up. I never blushed. I just wasn't a blusher. Or at least, I never was before. "Alright, cut it out. "

She laughed, full and loud. Something in my gut tightened and pulled but I ignored it. " Hey you started it. I was just accepting your flirting and returning the favor. I am an equal opportunity kind of girl, you know. "

" Thats good to know. " I smiled and motioned with my hand towards the door, " Shall we go and enjoy some burgers?"

She walked ahead of me and I held open the door for her, " Okay but I should warn you, I am gonna get fries and a double chocolate milkshake too. I will forever damage your sterotype of actresses and thier eating habits."

"Damage away, " I tell her as I follow her out the door.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The cafe was about two blocks away from the studio and was insanely busy for a weekday afternoon. Well at least I thought so. Obviously the workers did not because Loren and I were served almost as soon as we sat down. Of course it was clear that this wasn't Loren's first time at this particular establishment. The waitress, a chucky blonde with pretty blue eyes, not only knew her name but her order as well. I told her to double the order and she gave me a flirtly smile as she promised that the food would arrive in a few minutes and she was be right back with our drinks.

"So you are one of those guys who get hit on by every waitress, concession stand worker, and checkout girl you come into contact with?"

Yes, yes, I am. I couldn't tell if she was joking or if she was offended but I hoped it was the former rather than the latter. " I don't do anything to encourage it. "

" I was just messing with you, Eddie. "

I nodded, happy that she wasn't uncomfortable with the fact that women not only noticed me but flirted as well. My last girlfiend had major attitude anytime another girl smiled at me. " Its kind of hard to judge people these days. I am sorry if I offended you."

" You didn't. We are in the same business Eddie. Acting and singing gets us noticed. Sometimes the attention is kind of a riot and other times not so much. " The waitress came back with our drinks and sat the two milkshakes in front of us. Loren thanked her and when she walked away, the brunette nodded towards her, " is she your type, cause I am pretty sure that she is interested."

There was no doubt about that given the way the woman almost dumped my milkshake on Loren's lap because she was too busy staring at me to pay attention to what she was doing. However, not only was she not my type, I only had eyes for one female in this establishment and she was sitting across from me unwrapping her straw. " Well I am not interested."

Raising her eyebrows at me , Loren gave me a quizical look, " Oh really? I don't remember seeing you out and about with any mysterious girls in this weeks National Enquirer. "

Ha, she was a funny one, Loren Tate. " You think you know me so well don't you?"

She smiled brightly and nodded her head, " I get all my information from trash magazines and the internet. Are you daring to tell me that what I am reading isn't true?"

" Of course not...its the gospel. " We both laughed at our lameness and Loren stuck her straw in her milkshake and took a long sip. I did the same. As I watched her push the drink back a little, I wondered how it was possible that she was so unlike every other girl I have known in this town. Not only does she eat what she wants but I haven't seen her on her cell phone or a tablet all day. It has been a very long time before I have been able to enjoy a meal with someone of her gender without having to pose for a photo that would later be tweeted or posted all over Facebook. It was amazingly nice.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there?" Loren interupted my thoughts with a little giggle and smile. " You have a look of complete amazement on your face. "

And she could read minds too. Loren Tate really was the perfect girl. " Actually I was thinking how good it is to be sitting in a restuarant having a conversation without those little inventions that border on annoying beeping and flashing. "

Seemingly understanding what I was referring to, Loren reached over and laid a hand on her bag, " My phone is safely tucked away. I have a no cell phones at meal time policy, but if it will make you more comfortable I can totally ammend it for this one occasion. "

"Don't you dare, " I warned with a little chuckle. " I like your policy just fine. I try not to have my phone around when I am working or eating as well. "

" Well look at that, yet another thing we have in common. "

It had been a long time since I not only had things in common with someone but actually enjoyed someone else's company. Most of the time when it came to woman in my life, they were in my bed and out the door as soon as the sun came up. Loren wouldn't be like that. Ever. I don't know how I knew it but I did. If I was ever lucky enough to call her mine it would be the real deal. She wasn't the casual fling kind of girl. She shouldn't be either. She was too beautiful, too talented, too perfect. She deserved to have everything.

" So are you gonna ask me out before our food gets here or after?" Her words came as I was taking another drink of my milkshake and I nearly choked on it.

" Geez."

Handing me a couple of napkins to wipe up the mess I made, Loren laughed. " Sorry." I shook my head to let her know it was ok. " Its obvious we are attracted to each other. We may as well see if there is anything to it. "

" Won't Mel have a problem with us dating?"

Loren shrugged her shoulders, " Maxie and Johnny are dating."

"What? Seriously?" I didn't know that. Never would have guessed it as a matter of fact. Other than when we were in the food court and we went to order our food, the two of them were the epitome of professional yet friendly.

" Yes. They have been together for awhile now. Other cast memebers date too. "

Hmm, interesting. " So you want to date me?"

" Just as you want to date me."

She was confident and sure and I had to admit that I found that insanely attractive and she was right I did want to date her. " So are you going to say yes before or after our food arrives?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Sorry this is late. Its hubby's fault. I will just leave it at that. I so appreciate all the kind reviews on this story. Its different than RM and I wasn't sure what you guys would think about it but I am glad that so many seem to like it. This story doesn't have much more left...I would say a little more than five more chapters and it will be done...but of course I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a couple little twists along the way :) Please review**_

_**Oh and I own nothing and no one :) **_

" That was amazing."

I turned around and came face to face with Loren. She was wearing her customary day off jeans and tshirt with a pair of outragouesly colored flipflops and her hair was in a high ponytail. Even dressed casually she was still the most beautiful girl in the world to me. I smiled at her and her cheeks instantly flushed. God, that made her even more beautiful. " What are you doing here?"

She shrugged her shoulders and moved further into my dressing room. I make it a habit to leave the door open because more often then not Johnny or Maxie just barge in anyway. It was a tradition that I had come to actually look forward to over the last month or so. Just like Loren's impromtu visits on her days off. I like to think that those visits are because of me, but that would be egotistical and I am trying really hard to be a better man. " I am a little early for lunch with Maxie. I watched you while you were taping. That was awesome."

I felt my own cheeks flush now and as much as I hated that it happened, I didn't shy away from it. Loren was always over flowing on the compliments when it came to my work and it was one of the things that I adored about her. No matter if I was doing a scene or working on a new song, she always had something nice to say about my work. She was definitely good for my self-esteem. "Thank you. " I gave her the smile that I knew from countless nights out would make her blush. Yes, this girl was definitely good for my ego and my self-esteem. Hell she was good for me period.

In the weeks since our first suprise date at the cafe, Loren and I have spent every evening out together. Movies, dinners, walks along the beach. Whatever we felt like doing, we did it together. For the first time in my life, I felt at ease with a girl. It wasn't about sex, we haven't had sex, it was about getting to know one another, being friends first. Despite our flirting and obvious attraction for one another, we both agreed it was best to take things slowly and get to know one another. It was a different approach for me. I have always been the type of guy who wants a girl and gets her. Loren was different. Yes I wanted her, god did I want her. But it wasn't just physically. This girl had the power to change me. To make me want things that I have never before wanted with a girl...a future. It should scare me. For some reason though, it didn't. For the first time in my life, I wanted something more.

" Are you done for the day?" She took her usual seat on the edge of the sofa and dropped her cell phone and keys down beside her.

I joined her and sat as close as I could without envading her personal space. " I have to tape a few sequences with Sonny this afternoon. Why? "

She gave me a shy smile, " my mom has been wanting to meet you for a couple of weeks now. I keep putting it off but she is being especially pushy about this. Maxie and Johnny already said that they would go if that will make you feel more comfortable. She wants us to have dinner at her house. Tonight. " She looked towards the wall where I had hung a variety of different kinds of posters. She was scared I would say no. That I would freak out at the idea of meeting the woman responsible for Loren Tate.

No chance would I miss this opportunity even if it did scare me a little bit. Meeting Loren's mom was huge. It hadn't taken me long to realize just how close the two Tate women are. They talked on the phone a lot. I have been in Loren's company on various occasions when her mom would call and they would spend close to an hour talking for which Loren would apologize over and over because she felt it was rude to accept a call when she was with her friends but she explained that she and her mom are more like friends than parent and child. I had the same type of relationship with my parents...before the accident.

" Loren. " She turned to look at me when I said her name. " I would love to meet your mom. " Her smile was instantous and beautiful. " And tell Maxie and Johnny that they aren't needed as buffers. "

"Really? "

I nodded and grabbed her hand. Just the touch of her hand in mine made me feel different than ever before. I shook it off though. I would explore all the reason why this girl caused such reactions in me at a later time. Right now I had to assure her that this, whatever it was between us, was something that I not only wanted but wouldn't fight. " Really. I can't wait to meet your mom. " If she was anything close to as amazing as her daughter, I would like her instantly.

" I should warn you that my mom is ...well she will have a lot of questions. " She rolled her eyes goodnaturedly but I could tell that she was a little worried about that particular quirk of her mother's.

" I will be honest, I promise." Rubbing my thumb back and forth across the top of her hand, I used my other to play with the charm on the silver bracelet she was wearing. " I am ashamed of some of the things I have done. There is no excuse for my bad behavior, but I am not afraid to own my mistakes. Even to the mother of the girl I am crazy about."

As expected, and as I hoped, she smiled brightly. " You are crazy about me huh?"

More than crazy. I was already half in love with her. I wasn't ready to say it yet and I would bet that she wasn't ready to hear it, but it was the truth. The more time I spend with her, the more I care about her. The more I want to kiss her and ask her to officially be with me. But for now, it was best for us to stick to getting to know each other. Rushing things would mess things up and I have made enough messes in my personal life. I didn't want this thing to end up being one of them. But it didn't hurt to let her know that she was special. Even if getting to the good stuff took an impossibly long time. I met her eyes and gave her a smile that let her know that I was indeed crazy about her even if it was too soon to say the words. The fact that she blushed again told me that she recieved my nonverbal message loud and clear.

Breaking eye contact and moving towards my desk, she pointed to the over flowing stack of fan mail that I had been sorting through when she had first come into my dressing room. "Someone is popular."

" Isn't that crazy. My stuff hasn't even aired yet and I am already getting fan mail. Most of it is actually positive." I chuckled because there was a few letters telling me what a jerk I was and how I would ruin the best soap opera in daytime just for having my name associated with it. It had nothing to do with my acting abilities. It was strickly my repuation that had people already hating me. I couldn't blame anyone but myself for that. Regrets were everywhere in my past. I can't think of a single thing that I have done to be proud of since my parents deaths. Well, except taking this job. Taking this job was the first thing that I have done in a long time that not only made sense but makes me feel good about myself.

"No, not really. Soap fans are the best around. "

" My scenes haven't even aired yet. "

Loren shrugged her shoulders. She does it alot and every time I find it even more endearing. It was probably borderline crazy but everything about her is endearing. " It doesn't matter. The press releases in the magazines and online were enough. " Shuffling through the stacks she continued, "most of these are really positive, Eddie. You should be proud."

" I haven't done anything to be proud of. These people don't even know if I will be any good at this role." Yet there were hundreds of letters talking about how excited people were to see me play the role. I was flattered but nervous at the same time.

" It doesn't matter. People are excited. You still have fans you know. A lot of them probably aren't soap opera fans but they will watch just to see you. " She moved closer to me and put her hand on my shoulder, " And they will love what they see. You are doing a great job. "

I am not a blusher but i swear that I felt my cheecks heat up at her the second time since her visit. But it was the true sincerity in her eyes that really got to me and made my heart flutter. Flutter, really?! I am Eddie Duran, my heart does not flutter. Ok, I guess it does but I am not quite ready to embrace that or the meaning of it just yet. " Your only saying that because you are my friend. You can't say mean things to me. "

Placing a hand on her hip, she gave me a rather adorable stare down, " Do not even start that crap Eddie Duran. I am your friend so I can say whatever i want to you even if its mean. I happen to think that you are doing a great job and aside from those not very nice letters over there, a lot of other people agree with me. Everyone in this place is thrilled that you are here and with the work you are doing. Do I need to call them all in here to tell you that because I will. "

" No no."

" Well then knock off the self loathing or whatever you have going on in that head of yours. You are doing a great job and next week when your episodes start airing everyone else, including the idiots that badmouth you, will see that."

She was a fierce one, Loren Tate and I made a mental note to get her fired up more often because she was freaking amazing with her eyes spitting out fire like that. " You know, you are really cute when you are fired up."

She gave me a flirtly smile, " Oh yeah?"

I nodded and reached out my arm to circle it around her waist. Pulling her close to me I let my eyes fixate on her lips. Sometimes I wanted to kiss her more than I wanted to breathe. Now was one of those times. There were plenty of good things about us taking things slowly and getting to know one another but there was something even better about throwing caution to the wind.

But of course, before I could throw said caution to the wind, my door opened again and Chloe Carter waltzed in like she didn't have a care in the world. I dropped my hand from around Loren's wait and she took a step back away from me. The same regret that was evident in her eyes was no doubt mirrored in mine. " What do you need Chloe?" I asked as Loren made her way back to the desk.

" You said that I could use your tablet , remember? " She smiled at Loren as she flopped herself on my sofa. " Hey, Lo. I didn't know you had a call time today."

" I don't. I am meeting Maxie for lunch but she isn't finished yet so I am just hanging with Eddie to kill time." She pulled out the chair from the desk and sat down in it, while never taking her eyes off Chloe.

Chloe put her bag on the cushion next to her and started rummaging through it, " Well I was just on stage 6 and it looks like Maxie is gonna be awhile. They had to start over twice. You probably don't wanna hang around."

What the hell was going on here. Chloe was obviously trying to get rid of Loren and I so did not appreciate that one single bit. Especially because Chloe was the one that I wanted to get rid of. " Here Chloe." I handed her the tablet device that I pulled out of my own bag. " Feel free to take it with you to your own dressing room."

Apparently I was not blunt enough though because she took the tablet from me and turned it on right away. "So Loren, I haven't really talked to you in awhile."

Obviously it was not going to be easy to get away from this chick. I made my way to the other end of the sofa and sat down with a sigh of resignation. Loren gave me a sympathetic smile. At least she understood that I wanted Chloe gone.

" Yeah I have been pretty busy."

Swipping away on something on the screen of my tablet, Chloe didn't look up as she continued her conversation with Loren. " Do you know who I was thinking about yesterday? Matt. How is Matt, Loren?"

I wasn't watching Loren's face when Chloe asked the question but the sound of something dropping on the floor near her caused me to snap my head in her direction. The look on Loren's face was a cross between horror and anger. I obviously had no idea what exactly was happening right now but the feeling I was getting in the pit of my stomach told me that I didn't want to know. Yet I found myself asking out loud, " Who is Matt?"

Cheerily Chloes smiled at Loren and then turned it on me, " Matt is Loren's boyfriend."


	4. Chapter 4

**The Favor Chapter 4**

**Characters: Loren, Eddie, Chloe, Johnny...mentions of Matt ( who is an OC)**

**Chapter Summary: After Chloe blurts out that Loren has a boyfriend, she has some explaining to do. Later Eddie talks with Johnny about Matt and Loren.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Leddie~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"For God's sakes Chloe." Loren said as she bent down to pick up the stack of mail that she had dropped when Chloe mentioned Matt. She stood back up and deposited the envelopes on my desk. " Matt is not my boyfriend anymore. You know that."

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, " I just figured that by now you two would have worked things out. You always do."

With an eye roll, Loren put her hands on her hips, " Not that it is any of your business but Matt is doing fine. The last time I talked to him he was actually out on a date with some model for Calvin Klein. "

"Well that sucks. I'm sorry Loren."

Again Loren rolled her eyes, " Chloe, don't you have someone else to go make crazy? I need to talk to Eddie."

To my surprise Chloe actually left without much of a fight. When the door to my dressing room closed behind her, Loren finally looked at me. " I do not have a boyfriend."

"So you said." I didn't mean to sound so angry about it, but I couldn't help myself. Loren and I had spent a good deal of time together and the name Matt had never come up. If she wasn't hiding anything, why not mention him? Maybe Loren Tate was just like all the other girls in Hollywood afterall.

She didn't shy away from my tone, though. In fact she sent me a glare. " Are you gonna let me explain or let Chloe do what she was so obviously trying to do?" She had a defensive edge to her voice.

"And what do you think she was trying to do?"

"Make you doubt me. Like you are right now." She sat down on the arm of my sofa and crossed her arms across her chest. " Chloe is not a big fan of mine."

"What does that have to do with this Matt guy? Or me for that matter?"

She gave me a look that asked if I was serious. " You can't tell me that you haven't noticed that Chloe has a thing for you, Eddie. We all have noticed it."

Actually he had. He wasn't stupid, especially when it came to women and he knew when they were intersted in him. Chloe Carter and her big blue eyes and touchy feely hands were definitely interested in him. " What does Chloe's interest in me have to do with this Matt guy, Loren? "

She sighed, " Matt Duncan used to work here. He was an assisant director and Chloe had a huge thing for him. She did everything in her power to get him to notice her, but he didn't. He noticed me instead. He asked me out, I said yes. We were an official couple by our third date. I loved him."

"Loved?" Past tense was good. Right?

"Yes, loved." She uncrossed her arms and started playing with the charm on her bracelet, "Matt was unbelievably charming. He made me feel like I was the only girl that mattered to him. And for awhile, I believe that I was." She let go of the charm and looked up at me. " But then I wasn't anymore."

" He cheated on you?" I moved closer to the sofa and sat down next to her. " He is a fool."

She shrugged her shoulders, " No, its not his fault. He really is a nice guy. I am the problem."

The guy cheats on her and yet she thinks that she is the one to blame. What a prize he was. " I don't understand, Loren. The guy is a douche bag if he cheated on you. "

She smiled slightly. "I pushed him away, it was only a matter of time until he found someone else." She met my eyes. I was surprised not to see any hurt or anger at the jerk she was talking about. Instead I found resignation floating around her brown orbs. " I am kind of a hard person to be in a relationship with. "

"What are you insanely needy or something?"

She laughed, " No, nothing like that. But I am not your average girl when it comes to talking about the future. I am not into planning my dream wedding or naming my babies. Don't get me wrong, I want to be a wife and mother someday, I just don't like to talk about plan for it. "

Yes, that was definitely a difference between Loren and every other woman in the world. " I still don't understand how that leads to your boyfriend cheating on you."

" Matt is very much a by the plans kind of guy. He has his whole future mapped out. He even has a dating timeline. "

Seriously? Guys do that? " Ok, and you didn't like his timeline?"

She laughed again, " No it wasn't that. As much as I loved Matt, every time he started talking about getting engaged or moving in together, I started to freak out eternally. I don't know if I wasn't ready or what, but one day he brought a stack of real estate listing over to my place and I just shut down on him. I started pulling away. He felt it, but never said anything. He didn't rush me, but I could tell he was hurt. After that we just kind of went through the motions of being a couple." She let out a sad sigh. " I broke up with him, but he convinced me to work things out, I tried but couldn't get over whatever was holding me back. So I broke up with him again. It lasted about two months before he was back to charming me again. We had been back together for about a month before I found him in bed with another girl."

I let a curse fly out of my mouth and reached over to capture her hand in mind. " I'm sorry."

" No reason to be. I wasn't even that upset about it. I ended things that day and Matt quit the next. He moved to New York. We still talk every now and then and things are fine." She glanced over at the door. " Chloe was just trying to push my buttons and make me look bad in your eyes."

"Well it didn't work." I told her with a smile.

"Yes it did." Loren argued. " I saw the look on your face when she said Matt was my boyfriend."

Busted. Who could blame me though? " I'm sorry."

She stood up, " You have no reason to apologize. I should have told you about him."

"Why didn't you?" I couldn't help but be curious. Maybe she still has feelings for the guy. Even she admitted that she loved him. That would explain her lack of mentioning him and the look on her face when Chloe brought him up. And it would totally suck for me. I am a lot of things but a place holder will never be one of them.

She sighed, " Because I am embarrased. I come on all confident and sure of myself, but when it comes right down to it, I am a big coward. Apparently I can't do the whole commitment part of relationships." She frowned and shook her head. " I don't know what's wrong with me."

I was up off the sofa and across the room to where she was standing the second she ended her sentence. I took her hand with one of mine and used the other to lift her chin up so that she was looking at me. " There is nothing wrong with you, Loren. Relationships are scary as hell. I have never even been in a serious one my whole life. You aren't a coward. Maybe you are just a realist, like me. You know better than to put all your heart into something that just might destroy you in the end. "

"So you aren't mad that I didn't tell you about Matt?"

I shook my head and brought my hand from her chin to her cheek, " No. But I am glad that when you decided to, you were honest with me."

She nodded, " I don't like to play games, Eddie. I will always be honest with you but I need the same from you in return."

There was a time when if a girl said those words to me, I would have rolled my eyes and walked away from her without a second thought. Loren was different. In a lot of ways, but mostly because she made me rethink every single thing that I used to do. She makes me want to be a better person. "You'll get it."

Her smile was big and bright now. " Good."

It took all the strength I possessed to take a step back and drop my hand from her face rather than just pull her towards me and kiss her senseless. Now wasn't the time for that, though, so I moved away from her slightly because if I didn't, I was gonna do something that neither one of us needed for me to do right now. Loren and I really need to take a couple of steps back and figure out the right way to move forward.

I was about to tell her just that when a knock sounded at my door. We were standing in front of it, so I reached over and turned the knob to open it while Loren stepped back and moved over towards the desk once again. Johnny stood on the other side. " Hey ,man." I greeted him. " Come in."

Johnny came in and stopped short when he saw Loren. " Sorry, am I interupting?"

She shook her head, "No not at all. I was actually just gonna head up to wait for Maxie." She grabbed her bag and turned back to me. " Are we still on for later?"

I smiled, " Of course. "

Her smile made me heart skip a little beat. " Cool. See you. " She hugged Johnny and then disappeared through the door.

" What did I walk in on?"

I shook my head, " Nothing. We were finished talking. " I walked over to the mini fridge that I had set up in the corner of my dressing room and pulled two cans of soda out. " Chloe was here earlier trying to cause trouble." I walked back to the sofa and handing Johnny his drink before sitting down. He did the same. " Do you know Matt?"

"Yes. He's an ok guy, other than the fact that he hooked up with some random chick while he was dating Loren." Johnny flipped the tab on his soda, " Chloe tried to make you think that Loren is still into Matt Duncan?"

" Yeah and she had me there for a minute. "

Johnny rolled his eyes, " That chick is a piece of work. Loren and Matt have been over for a good while now and even if they weren't Loren was really never that crazy about him."

"Loren said she loved him," I clarified. Saying those words made a bouder sized lump fill my stomach. I seemed to be experiencing a lot of new emotions since Loren Tate came into my life. I just wasn't sure that was really a good thing.

Johnny shrugged, " that doesn't mean that she was in love with him. There is a difference you know. Between loving someone and being in love with someone. "

I did know that. However, I never really experienced it. Or maybe I had. Hell, it was too hard to figure out right now. And I wasn't in the mood to even try. " Loren says that she freaked when he wanted to move forward with their relationship."

"Yeah that's pretty much what I remember her telling me the first time they split. It was never really a surprise though. Loren doesn't have the best relationship history."

I sat up a little bit straighter, " so Matt isn't the first guy?"

Johnny took a drink from his soda before answering my question. " No. I can't remember a single guy that Loren ever got really serious with. She's had relationships, long term ones, but never lived with anyone, been engaged, nothing like that."

"Do you know why?" I couldn't help wondering why a girl as amazing as Loren Tate was so cautious with her heart.

Johnny took another drink of his soda and nodded. " Yeah, man. It's because of her dad. That bastard did a real number on our Loren."

**Yep...I am ending this part right here. LOL...I know I know...I suck. **


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